Dear 6^th Year Parent(s)/Guardian(s), 

We hope this newsletter finds you well and that you have had an enjoyable summer. Now that the year is underway we have a number of items and dates that we would like to bring to your attention as your student embarks on their final year in Ratoath College.

We have great expectations for the current 6^th years. We would ask that you continue to encourage your son/daughter as you always have, instil in them the importance of setting goals and focusing from day one in 6^th year, organising a timetable, which includes time for curricular and extra-curricular activities. This approach was emphasised during the back to school seminars. 

6^th Year Information Night 

There will be a parent(s)/guardian(s) information evening, here in the school, on Oct 10^th @ 6:30. Our guidance counsellors will speak on the night and outline a number of future pathways available to your son/daughter. 

Careers

6^th year is a really important year for your son/daughter to focus on what career they would like to follow after they have completed their Leaving Cert. Every 6^th year has access to a Guidance Counsellor with whom they will meet formally throughout the year, but they can also make an appointment to discuss career/course options if needed. All students receive a rotation of Guidance classes throughout the year. Whilst we do not expect every student to know exactly what career they wish to follow at this moment, it is important that you encourage your son/daughter to embark on as much research into careers over the coming weeks to enable them to decide upon a few areas that seem of interest to them. They can then explore these areas with their Guidance Counsellor. All students have the option of availing of a Careers workshop on Thursday at lunchtime if they have questions. 

Students Over 18 – GDPR

In line with Data Protection law, we are required to obtain the permission of students who are 18 years old or above in order for us to be able to communicate with their parent(s)/guardian(s) about them.

All students turning 18 this year were given a form to be completed by them and their parent(s)/guardian(s) when they come of age. All students who are 18 or older, and who wish for the school to continue to be able to communicate with their parents about them in the same way as we did before they were 18, are required to return this form to the main office. A copy can be downloaded from the school website. https://rb.gy/sof8dd

Dialann

As you are aware we use the Dialann as the main form of communication between school and home. It is imperative that you check the Dialann on a daily basis. Please sign notes in the comment section to let us know you have received and read the same. Students should also use the Dialann to record all of their homework and revision. You should be able to monitor their assignments from here.

A number of school policies are printed in the student Dialann. In particular, I want to bring your attention to the Uniform policy (Pg. 27), Mobile device policy (Pg. 33) and Green Schools Policy (Pg. 42).

Please also note that the school car park is for staff cars only.

Teams & 365 Account access

We  frequently share announcements and revision notes on Microsoft Teams. It is important that every student checks that they can log into their school email and Teams. If a student cannot log in at home they need to report this difficulty to their Caomhnóir asap. If a student is missing any of their class pages they should communicate this to their subject teacher. 

Attendance and Punctuality

We would first like to congratulate the majority of the students who have excellent attendance records to date; this is commendable and a credit to them and to you. It is imperative that every effort is made for students to attend school every day.  Please keep us informed of any planned absences and ask your student to check-in with their teachers regarding important dates and assignments.  Medical and dental appointments should be made for outside school hours when possible.

Registration is recorded during assembly and any student who does not present will be marked absent on the official register. Students need to be in their classrooms prior to 8:40 to ensure that they have adequate time to get their books and materials ready for their classes. Where students are unavoidably late they must sign in via the main office.

***The Irish, French & Italian Oral examinations have taken place during the 1^st week of the Easter break for the last number of years. Please be aware of this if planning trips away.***

Contacting staff

Where there is a concern in a particular subject, we ask that you contact the subject teacher first. If your concern is of a pastoral care nature please contact the caomhnóir or if there is a serious concern please contact the Moltóir Ms. Donnellan at [email protected] or by calling the school. 

Upcoming Notable Dates

October 10^th: 6^th Year CAO/ Information Evening for Parent(s) & Guardian(s)

October 15^th: Ecology Trip – Biology students only (Provisional Date)

October 17^th: Art Students to visit Public Murals and Museum (Provisional Date)

November 21^st 16.15-18.45: Parent Teacher Student Meeting

November 28^th: Careers Fair in Ratoath College

January 13^th – January 24^th: Mock Examinations

Students will also be advised of due dates for projects by their teachers. 

We would like to take this opportunity to wish our 6^th year students all the best for the year ahead as they embark on their final year in Ratoath College. We would like to thank you for your continued support and engagement with the school.

Le gach dea-ghuí,

Rita Donnellan

6^th year Moltóir